A dad who had swollen lymph nodes before being diagnosed with a life-long condition has completed an "incredible" challenge.
Back in 2018, James Douglas, then 57, began to experience swelling on his neck that "wouldn't go away" and after three months decided to get it checked. Having had tests, it was confirmed he had Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia - a type of cancer that affects the white blood cells and tends to progress slowly over many years.
He told the ECHO : "It all happened rather quick, I was still pretty young when I was diagnosed but the message here is that if something doesn't feel right, go and get it checked out. You are not wasting anyone's time."
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James knew he wanted to raise funds for a charity close to his heart while he was "still fit and healthy" but when the covid pandemic hit, he had to shield to protect his health. This meant he was unable to see his mum, who lives in Northern Ireland, for over two years.
James, of Heswall, and his son Cam set about completing a challenge they named ‘Dee Isolation Challenge’ which would see them sail an 18ft open Catamaran from Dee Sailing Cub on Wirral, stopping off in North Wales, then the Isle of Man, before finally stopping at Northern Ireland to see his mum, Ann.
Having set off from Wirral on May 13, the sailors finally arrived in Northern Ireland two days later, working closely with the RNLI for safety. As a result of the challenge, a staggering £16,000 was raised for Blood Cancer UK, the RNLI as well as two other cancer charities.
James, now 61, said: "The form of leukaemia I've got means it's not curable but is manageable. So while I'm still fit and healthy I wanted to give something back to Blood Cancer research and then because of the pandemic I linked it to that and thought I'd sail to see my mum.
"I always knew I wanted to do something relatively big. I planned to do it a couple of years ago but the pandemic hit. There was a lot of planning with the RNLI to make it as safe as possible so I raised some money for them as well.
"It was lovely to see my mum at the end. Like everyone we had to isolate but because of my condition I had to be extra careful as did she because of her age. I wasn't expecting to raise as much as we did, I set the target as £10,000 never thinking I'd reach that.
"But we surpassed that and I'm delighted really. It's been amazing and that was the whole point of it."
The father and son sailed a total distance of more than 268km by sea, setting off with emergency floatation bags as well as radio, flares, navigation lights and other essential pieces of equipment. The total sailing time was 27 hours and the voyage took place over a three-day period in May earlier this year.
Richard Diamond, West Kirby Lifeboat Operations Manager added: "We are in awe of James and Cam for their efforts and the successful completion of the Dee Isolation Challenge, and would like to thank them for the funds raised.
"The level of attention to detail and the precautions taken prior to the voyage as well as contacting the appropriate agencies helped them to achieve success and most importantly be safe."
James is a participant on the FLAIR trial under the care of the Clatterbridge Cancer Care Centre. He said: "When I was first diagnosed we did a watch and wait but after six months my blood counts were at such a level they needed to do something."
The fundraiser can be accessed here.
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